Menu

Social Icons

Slider

Sunday, 25 November 2018

Add caption

One of Cheltenham's best-loved restaurants, The Coconut Tree, has finally opened its doors to the likes of Bristol with two site launches - Gloucester Road and the Clifton triangle. The Coconut Tree is the South East's answer to Ski Lankan street food. A quick google search and a few food blogs later, I prepared myself for lots of fish, curry and rice, and lots of smaller dishes you can pick and choose from. On Thursday myself and Chloe went over to their venue on Park Street to try it out.

Sunday, 21 October 2018

On Friday, I decided to do something different. I'd put some extra hours at work this week, so I took off at 4pm and headed down to my first Scream Park, Fear at Avon Valley.

What is a Scream Park? Remember that time when you may have been walking in alone in the dark and you'd hear a rustle and try and walk faster to avoid it? Okay, now imagine that but instead of a rustle, it's a a 6ft clown wielding an axe and limping it's way across a fairground towards you, and you'll get the idea. Bristol's Avon Valley boasts 4 incredible mazes, designed to test every fear you've ever had: from clowns to claustrophobia, electrocution to the dark.

The fairground consisted of fire pits, food stalls, a music tent to street performers. As soon as I stepped out onto the field, I felt like I had entered a festival. (Yay.) I met Hannah, the owner of Avon Valley Park, who told me that this was their 5th year, and after years of research in the UK and America, they've opened up the 4th maze this year, House of Clowns. (More on that later...)

After a glass of prosecco, I headed back out into the field. Maybe feeling a little too relaxed, I didn't notice when a man in stripes and holding a weight snuck up behind me. I'm jumpy at the best of times, but my god it shouldn't be human for someone to walk to silently but shout so loud, should it?

Anarchy Live

My first maze of the night was Anarchy Live. I won't give too much away in any of these descriptions, but if I had to sum up this maze in one sentence I'd say it's a combination of a post-apocalyptic tribe and strobe rooms full of unexpected twists and turns. Apparently, this is the first maze built at Avon Valley, and it has everything you'd want from a scary maze: jump scares, strange spaces and brilliant actors.

House of Clowns

Yes, you read the heading correctly. I'm just going to make this clear now - I hate clowns. Absolutely cannot stand them. I hate the way they smile, I hate how they walk, I hate their laugh. I point blank refused to go in. Until Mojichlo started queuing and... I realised I didn't have much of a choice. Be the person who lets their friend go into a clown house alone? I wish I was. I actually loved the first room where an old lady was knitting away. 0 clowns spotted so far. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay and have a cuppa because I had some serious clown butt to kick. I'll be honest, I spent a lot of this maze with my head down, but I'm sure people who are brave enough to do a clown house wide-eyed will tell you they were terrifying.

Phobia

This was definitely my favourite maze. Phobia confronts a different fear in every room. The dark, claustrophobia, clowns, you name it. This meant for wimps like me, I only spent about 70% of my time in this maze in a state of terror. Wahey.

X4

X4 was the last on our list, and I'd say the most creative of them all. There are different levels, you are immersed in a storyline straight away, and the actors follow you most of the way through. As an army-boot camp themed maze, there was a lot of shouting and fast-paced paced walking, although this definitely isn't the sort of place you'd want to hang around in anyway!

Overall, the experience has completely opened my eyes to the world of horror. I left every maze feeling a buzz of adrenaline, and a strange sense of accomplishment. Not only had I tried something new, I'd stared in the face of a clown and carried on walking, and that's something to be proud of. I loved the festival feel to the field, and the energy at Avon was high all night long.

I am definitely not the first to catch onto Scream Parks, and even before it opened the queue snaked all the way around the venue. If you're not a fan of long lines I'd definitely recommend getting a VIP fast track ticket, I doubt you'd be able to get round to every maze in one evening! Have you experienced any horror mazes before? Do you hate clowns too? Let me know in the comments!

Monday, 27 August 2018

Last Friday I went down to Prezzo in Bristol to try Whitley Neill Gin. Myself and Chloe were invited to sample the entire range - Original, Blood Orange, Raspberry, Rhubarb and Ginger and Quince.

One aspect of gin tasting that I always enjoy is being able to understand the story behind the botanical blend. We were told all about the baobab tree, or 'Tree of Life', (the beautiful curly statue that greeted us at the table) and were shown the unusual baobab fruit. It looked almost wooden, with dry white seeds nestled inside.

Our first gin to try was the small batch original, accompanied by tonic water and a slice of lemon. I'm a sucker for a classic G&T so after a long week at work, I gladly took the glass. What do I look for in a good gin? Something smooth, that won't give you that sharp back of the throat feel. I'm not a white wine drinker for that very reason, give me a glass of red and a good book and I'm happy. If that sounds like you, then you need this gin.

I do like a bit of creativity, so I was ready to try something a little more adventurous. Whitley Neill also creates their own tonics, and lo and behold my beloved cucumber gin was part of the party! Chloe had a raspberry gin and cucumber tonic, which was really summery and fresh - perfect if you're sitting out in the last of the August sun. We were advised by the lovely bartenders to try some garden mixes: hibiscus tonic with raspberry gin is apparently a great combination.

We were then served a platter from Prezzo's sharing list. At this point, if anyone puts slabs of carbs and meat in front of me, I'm a happy bunny regardless. There was a nice selection of meats and bread, but the star of the show was the bruschetta. Fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, onions. It reminded me of my time up in the mountains in southern Spain. Simple, healthy, high-quality comfort food.

We ended our tasting with some Rhubarb and Ginger shots. Personally, this flavour wasn't for me. It was very sweet and had a very distinctive rhubarb and custard flavour to it. I could imagine it being a bit overpowering with a mixer or after a few tastes. If you're a sweet tooth, this is a safe bet!

Overall, my evening at Prezzo was the perfect end to the week. The food was light and flavoursome, the service was warm and above all, I came away googling where I can buy a bottle of Whitley Neill. It may even be up there with my all-time favourite Bathtub Gin - yes I've said it.

Friday, 1 June 2018

If there's one thing that's been on my list since I've moved, it's to visit bristol's favourite burger place, Oowee Diner. Their social media accounts are full of sexy close-up junk food shots, and I'm always getting snapchats off people getting their burgers delivered to their doors after a night out. Last week the clouds cleared and the weather was pleasant, so Chloe and I, armed with cameras and empty stomachs, headed off to Oowee Diner.

Friday, 25 May 2018

Being new to the city, I've been eager to get involved in exploring Bristol as much as possible. I've attended a few talks, and been to a painting class. This weekend myself and fellow blogger Chloe wanted to try something new and got tickets to Bristol's Gin Bus Tour.

Tuesday, 27 March 2018

Eleanor Oliphant is the epitome of "don't judge a book by its cover." I originally heard about this book when it won the Costa Book Award Fiction category, and I'll be honest I wasn't phased. Fiction is a very broad term, and gold stars and a casual font didn't scream "Beth I'm a dark psychological page-turner, read me." Boy, was I pleasantly surprised this week.

Eleanor lives a very mundane, lonely life. We quickly learn that she is quite abrasive, and I questioned whether our main character had autism. As the story evolves it becomes apparent that she suffered a great trauma as a child and seems to have been so neglected, she is incapable of forming connections with the outside world. Despite her cold nature, I fell in love with her outlook on everything from vodka to office parties.

“There was nothing to tempt me from the choice of desserts, so I opted instead for a coffee, which was bitter and lukewarm. Naturally, I had been about to pour it all over myself but, just in time, had read the warning printed on the paper cup, alerting me to the fact that hot liquids can cause injury. A lucky escape, Eleanor! I said to myself, laughing quietly. I began to suspect that Mr. McDonald was a very foolish man indeed, although, judging from the undiminished queue, a wealthy one.”

I can't help but liken her to that of a battery animal. Something that was caged up for most of its life and is finally getting a look at the world for the first time, and I think that's what makes her so lovable. Pretty much every Goodreads review mentions how much they want to leap into the book and hug her forever and to be quite honest, I'd gladly join the line.

I need a new book recommendation! Whats everyone been reading? Have you got a copy of this? Let me know in the comments.

Tuesday, 20 March 2018

I've decided to shake up my makeup routine a bit this year. I'm normally a foundation-thick eyeliner-mascara kind of girl, but to be quite honest it's a right faff in the mornings, and I can never seem to get the wing quite right. So I'm trying to focus more on having a nice base: foundation, blush, highlight and maybe one day some god damn contour, and just stick to some mascara for a bit. So while in Bristol the other week I picked up Barry M's Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops in the shade liquid fortune, for £6.99.